Blanc Presents France’s New-Look
France’s coach Laurent Blanc has named the new squad to play against Norway in a friendly which will take place the 11th of August. This comes after expelling almost the entire national team which took part at the South African tournament this summer due to the boycott the French players directed for the ex-coach Raymond Domenech who sent striker Anelka home after complaining his poor tactics. However, Blanc chose to select both Karim Benzema and midfielder Franck Ribery despite Bayern’s player involving in a sexual scandal with an underage prostitute. So, it seems the coach rather prefers extra-sportive indiscipline than professional one. Apart from the two most representative players, the new look refers to the following, too: Hatem Ben Arfa, Lassana Diarra, Mamadou Sakho, Jeremy Menez, but also Wigan’s Charles N’Zogbia and Arsenal Samir Nasri.
France prepares now for the friendly against Norway, after last week Laurent Blanc declared he won’t stay at the national team if this fails qualifying to Euro 2012. He said: “It’s Euro 2012 or I’m going. I signed for two years. Then if we qualify and if we have a good Euro, we can possibly discuss an extension for two more years. I’ll be judged on results. It’s not my style to carry on if it’s not working.” Still, he claimed he won’t change team’s backbone overnight, but this is about to be change on the way. So, he’d probably keep some of the keys that took part at the world cup: “You cannot change the core of the team overnight,” adding in the same time: “No. If you can name me one (player who is guaranteed to keep his place), well done, because I do not see any, except the keeper.”
France provided the poorest world cup performance since very long, the team barely making one point in South Africa to go home earlier than the most pessimists expected. Now, Blanc must qualify the team as part of group D for Euro 2012 qualifications, the group including also Romania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Belarus, Albania and Luxemburg. Finally, the team looks as it follows: Douchez, Ruffier, Cissokho, Debuchy, Fanni, Mexes, Rami, Sakho, Tremoulinas, Cabaye,L. Diarra, M. Sissoko, Matuidi, Mvila, N’Zogbia, Nasri, Ben Arfa, Benzema, Briand, Hoarau, Ménez, Remy.
